History of Indiana Academy 17 



The next evening, May 21, 1886, the following was the program: 



Dr. David Starr Jordan presiding. 

 Prayer — Rev. J. G. Chafee. 

 Addresses — 



David Starr Jordan. 



D. W. Dennis. 



P. S. Baker. 



The first day was spent among the hills and along the East Fork 

 of Whitewater to Templeton's Ford. Near there, luncheon was served 

 in picnic style. In the deep water above the ford the members of the 

 Academy went swimming. There, as Dr. Dennis said, the members saw 

 each other as they were, a thing they had never done before. There 

 Jordan climbed upon a rock just below the surface of the water and 

 formally christened the Academy. "For," said he, "when the members 

 of the Academy can all go swimming together, it is bound to be a suc- 

 cess." There Hessler first came in contact with scientific men and 

 determined to be a scientist. Before going home he discussed with 

 Jordan the question of his going to Indiana University. Altogether, it 

 was a delightful meeting and it brought inspiration and enthusiasm 

 to the members of the local Society of Natural History. 



Other spring meetings have been held that are ever to be remem- 

 bered. Those at Bloomington, where the University made our visit very 

 pleasant. The one to Wyandotte Cave; we drove from Orleans to Paoli, 

 for the first night meeting. Next morning we were up early to get the 

 carriages for the drive to the Cave. Various things hapi^ened. Among 

 others, we lost our way so did not reach our destination until mid-after- 

 noon. Having eaten nothing since breakfast and the meal hour being 

 past, we had to take what we could get. I broke out with chickenpox 

 on the way and presume I spread it over most of that part of Indiana. 

 Some thought that having arrived so late it would be necessary to wait 

 until the next morning to explore the cave. It was explained they could 

 see the cave as well by night as by day. When the Sulphur Spring 

 was reached there was no drinking vessel. One must kneel and drink 

 from the basin or lift the water in his hands. One swallow was enough 

 for Professor Karstens. "Oh, my, oh, my," he uttered, "hasn't some one 

 something to take the cruelty out of the water?" 



Didn't we have a good time at Maxinkuckee and at Manitou? At 

 Richmond, where the Ohio Academy met with us, and at Oxford, Ohio, 

 where we met with the Academy from that state? Wasn't that a 

 splendid meeting at Greencastle, and how fine was the one at Terre 

 Haute. One that will ever be remembered was the first one at Wave- 

 land. Mendenhall, Waldo, Jordan, Jenkins and others, were at their 

 best. How when the herpetologists gathered the first morning at 

 Shades of Death they began to inquire of the owner where they could 

 be most likely to find snakes. He replied there were no snakes there; 

 they had all been killed. Two hours later in their sacks the herpetolo- 

 gists had collected at least a bushel of reptiles to the horror of the pro- 

 prietor. At Waveland we had a peanut feast. A 50-pound flour sack 

 full of fresh roasted peanuts were eaten in front of the hotel. Those 



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